Pope issues stark warning to Hollywood stars about cinema’s ‘decline’
Pope urges Hollywood stars to save cinemas as box office sales decline
- Pope Leo XIV addressed leading Hollywood figures, including Cate Blanchett and Spike Lee, at the Vatican on Saturday.
- The pontiff warned of a "troubling decline" in cinemas and urged greater efforts to preserve the shared experience of watching films.
- He described cinema as a vital "workshop of hope" and criticised the impact of digital algorithms, advocating for "slowness, silence and difference" in storytelling.
- Leo encouraged artists to confront difficult themes such as violence and poverty with honesty, stating that good cinema recognises and explores pain.
- His remarks come as global box office revenues remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels, with US and Canadian multiplexes recording their worst summer performance since 1981.